ESSE'S CLASSIC BOOKKKKKKKK THE GREAT GATSBY - F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Synopsis
Based in the 1920's, the wealthy Jay Gatsby spends 5 years trying to be united with
his old love Daisy Buchanan. They used to be together before he went to war, but when
Gatsby returned Daisy had married with Tom Buchanan, the novel's antagonist, who
also cheats on Daisy. The Narrator of the story, Nick Carraway is Gatsby's next door
neighbour and Daisy's cousin.
About the Author - F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on september 24 1896 in Minnesota. He was one of the
most famous authors of the jazz age, The Great Gatsby being his most known novel.
He had been writing all of his life and with success of his books, he got married to the
women he loved. Only in the middle of one of his novels, F. Scott Fitzgerald had a
heart attack and pasted away. This was due to a drinking problem and he was only 44.
The book was never finished.
Pictures
Character list Nick Carraway - As the narrator, Nick tells the story through his thoughts and perceptions.
He is from Minnesota Jay Gatsby - Jay Gatsby is the title character and the protagonist of the novel. He Daisy Buchanan - Daisy is Jordyn Baker's friend, Nick Carraway's cousin and Tom
Buchanan's wife. She used to be in love with Gatsby Tom Buchanan - Jordyn Baker - Jordyn is Daisy's friend who is beautiful, tall, slim and a competitive golf
player. Jordyn acts very boyish, self-centered and cynical but even so Nick finds himself
fall half in-love with her throughout the novel. Jordyn often cheats her way through things
such as her golf tournaments and is very dishonest. Myrtle Wilson - Myrtle is Tom Buchanan's mistress whom is married to Gorge Wilson.
Gorge owns a run-down garage at the valley of the ashes. Gorge Wilson - Gorges Owl Eyes - Owl Eyes is a drunk, who Nick meets at the first party he attends at Gatsby's
mansion. Nick finds Owl Eyes looking though Gatsby's books astonished that they were
real. He is also seen at the graveyard at the end of the novel. Klipspringer - Klipspringer is a shallow person who spends most of his time at
Gatsby's, taking advantage of his hospitality and money.. He doesn't attend the funeral
but he does call about a lost pair of tennis shoes left at Gatsby's. Meyer Wolfsheim - Meyer Wolfsheim had known Gatsby for many years. Wolfsheim
helped Gatsby make his fortune bootlegging illegal liquor and his continued friendship
with Gatsby suggests hat Gatsby could have still been involved in illegal business.
When Gatsby died he tried to stay out of it and not 'get in the mix of things', therefore
did not attend his funeral or burial.
Interview questions: NICK CARRAWAY 1)What did you think of Gatsby the first time you met him?
The first time I met Jay was at one of his parties. He had one of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance that you only come across four or five times in your life. 2)Was it over whelming living next door to Gatsby's mansion?
Yes I knew that I was in the shadows of Gatsby's mansion, but i wasn't the sort of person
that he was. I liked my small house on the bay. 3) Did you feel as though Gatsby was only friends with you because he wanted to get to Daisy?
I was very shocked when Jordyn told me about why Gatsby held the parties and how he
wanted me to invite Daisy over but after we got to know each other we became very
close I knew that that wasn't the case. 4)When you saw Tom at New York and he mentioned how Gatsby ran over Myrtle, why did you not tell tomthat itwas not the truth?
The reasons why I kept Gatsby's secret to myself was because I knew that if i told tom
that Daisy was the one driving the car that Tom might hert Daisy, and she is my cousin.
And also Gatsby didn't want me to tell anyone anyway so i decided not too. 5) Why do you believe that onlyMr Gatz, four or five servants, the postman, Owl Eyesand Ishowed up at the cemetery for Gatsby's burial?
I think that Jordyn was over all of us and our drama, Tom would have never thought of
going in the first place and Tom would've never let Daisy go. Klipspringer had preferred
to stay up in Greenwich and Meyer Wolfsheim didn't want to get mixed up in it. All of the
many people that enjoyed his parties every saturday must have only used him for his
hospitality.
Facts about THE GREAT GATSBY 1) Daisy buchanan is largely seen as a surrogate for Fitzgerald's "mad" wife, Zelda. When
Fitzgerald initially proposed to Zelda, she shot him down, because he was too poor for her
- hence the inspiration for Daisy. 2) Fitzgerald started writing The Great Gatsby in 1923, but he ended up discarding most
of what he wrote. 3) Some alternative titles Fitzgerald considered included rimalchio, Gold-Hatted Gatsby
and Under the Red, White and Blue. 4) Fitzgerald got the idea for "West Egg" and "East Egg" after he moved to Great Neck,
NY on Long Island. That area was considered "new money", while Cow Neck Peninsula,
which sat across the bay was where established "old money" lived. 5) At first the novel was not a famous hit at all. If he had lived only 10 years longer,
Fitzgerald would have seem the great success of the novel. The Great Gatsby was also very
popular during WWII as the Armed Services Editions circulated 150,000 copies to troops.
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
As my body is pushed between many others, I can hardly breathe with the rotting smell of the
hard working, unwashed, filthy bodies around me. It is ten past ten and I can taste the cool
overcast air in my mouth. I can feel the hairs on the back of my spine spike up like a cat about
to pounce and I shiver, through the back of my long, brown, stained torn dress. I can’t see the
execution from where I’m standing, my mother is by my left but I keep getting bumped in the
head by everyone’s hips. There is hardly any room to move around. My father luckily sweeps
me up from behind and puts me on his shoulders. I can finally see what everyone is loudly
cheering about, but I just don’t understand. I feel like the ginormous brick walls of the square
closing tight around me and I can’t escape. I feel a gurgle in my mouth, I’m not sure if it’s from
the hunger from the meat getting cooked from the other side of square or the fact that I’m
watching innocent people getting their heads chopped off. I tap on my father as if to get down.
He understands and lowers me. Suddenly my view is limited again. I start to push my way
quickly through the crowd and I reach the opening. “Death to the Aristocrats!” the crowd shouts.
My body looses all strength and I feel as if I have fell to the ground and curled up on the cold,
hard base of this show. And in one instant and I feel weak and pointless. Why does it have to
be like this? I don’t want my life to be like this. I raise my eyebrows and whisper to the rich
slowly and empathetically, ‘I’m sorry.’ I pause “I am so sorry”. I notice an old women dressed
in layers upon layers of a beautiful rose dress, the skirt flaring out at the waist look back at me.
Her eyes sunken into her sunken body gave a small smile. Generally you should feel happy with
yourself as if you have done something to someone, but I just done. I can’t do anything else
and I feel awful.
THE GREAT GATSBY - F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
Synopsis
Based in the 1920's, the wealthy Jay Gatsby spends 5 years trying to be united with
his old love Daisy Buchanan. They used to be together before he went to war, but when
Gatsby returned Daisy had married with Tom Buchanan, the novel's antagonist, who
also cheats on Daisy. The Narrator of the story, Nick Carraway is Gatsby's next door
neighbour and Daisy's cousin.
About the Author - F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on september 24 1896 in Minnesota. He was one of the
most famous authors of the jazz age, The Great Gatsby being his most known novel.
He had been writing all of his life and with success of his books, he got married to the
women he loved. Only in the middle of one of his novels, F. Scott Fitzgerald had a
heart attack and pasted away. This was due to a drinking problem and he was only 44.
The book was never finished.
Pictures
Character list
Nick Carraway - As the narrator, Nick tells the story through his thoughts and perceptions.
He is from Minnesota
Jay Gatsby - Jay Gatsby is the title character and the protagonist of the novel. He
Daisy Buchanan - Daisy is Jordyn Baker's friend, Nick Carraway's cousin and Tom
Buchanan's wife. She used to be in love with Gatsby
Tom Buchanan -
Jordyn Baker - Jordyn is Daisy's friend who is beautiful, tall, slim and a competitive golf
player. Jordyn acts very boyish, self-centered and cynical but even so Nick finds himself
fall half in-love with her throughout the novel. Jordyn often cheats her way through things
such as her golf tournaments and is very dishonest.
Myrtle Wilson - Myrtle is Tom Buchanan's mistress whom is married to Gorge Wilson.
Gorge owns a run-down garage at the valley of the ashes.
Gorge Wilson - Gorges
Owl Eyes - Owl Eyes is a drunk, who Nick meets at the first party he attends at Gatsby's
mansion. Nick finds Owl Eyes looking though Gatsby's books astonished that they were
real. He is also seen at the graveyard at the end of the novel.
Klipspringer - Klipspringer is a shallow person who spends most of his time at
Gatsby's, taking advantage of his hospitality and money.. He doesn't attend the funeral
but he does call about a lost pair of tennis shoes left at Gatsby's.
Meyer Wolfsheim - Meyer Wolfsheim had known Gatsby for many years. Wolfsheim
helped Gatsby make his fortune bootlegging illegal liquor and his continued friendship
with Gatsby suggests hat Gatsby could have still been involved in illegal business.
When Gatsby died he tried to stay out of it and not 'get in the mix of things', therefore
did not attend his funeral or burial.
Interview questions: NICK CARRAWAY
1) What did you think of Gatsby the first time you met him?
The first time I met Jay was at one of his parties. He had one of those rare smiles with a
quality of eternal reassurance that you only come across four or five times in your life.
2) Was it over whelming living next door to Gatsby's mansion?
Yes I knew that I was in the shadows of Gatsby's mansion, but i wasn't the sort of person
that he was. I liked my small house on the bay.
3) Did you feel as though Gatsby was only friends with you because he wanted to
get to Daisy?
I was very shocked when Jordyn told me about why Gatsby held the parties and how he
wanted me to invite Daisy over but after we got to know each other we became very
close I knew that that wasn't the case.
4) When you saw Tom at New York and he mentioned how Gatsby ran over Myrtle,
why did you not tell tom that it was not the truth?
The reasons why I kept Gatsby's secret to myself was because I knew that if i told tom
that Daisy was the one driving the car that Tom might hert Daisy, and she is my cousin.
And also Gatsby didn't want me to tell anyone anyway so i decided not too.
5) Why do you believe that only Mr Gatz, four or five servants, the postman, Owl
Eyes and I showed up at the cemetery for Gatsby's burial?
I think that Jordyn was over all of us and our drama, Tom would have never thought of
going in the first place and Tom would've never let Daisy go. Klipspringer had preferred
to stay up in Greenwich and Meyer Wolfsheim didn't want to get mixed up in it. All of the
many people that enjoyed his parties every saturday must have only used him for his
hospitality.
Facts about THE GREAT GATSBY
1) Daisy buchanan is largely seen as a surrogate for Fitzgerald's "mad" wife, Zelda. When
Fitzgerald initially proposed to Zelda, she shot him down, because he was too poor for her
- hence the inspiration for Daisy.
2) Fitzgerald started writing The Great Gatsby in 1923, but he ended up discarding most
of what he wrote.
3) Some alternative titles Fitzgerald considered included rimalchio, Gold-Hatted Gatsby
and Under the Red, White and Blue.
4) Fitzgerald got the idea for "West Egg" and "East Egg" after he moved to Great Neck,
NY on Long Island. That area was considered "new money", while Cow Neck Peninsula,
which sat across the bay was where established "old money" lived.
5) At first the novel was not a famous hit at all. If he had lived only 10 years longer,
Fitzgerald would have seem the great success of the novel. The Great Gatsby was also very
popular during WWII as the Armed Services Editions circulated 150,000 copies to troops.
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL
As my body is pushed between many others, I can hardly breathe with the rotting smell of the
hard working, unwashed, filthy bodies around me. It is ten past ten and I can taste the cool
overcast air in my mouth. I can feel the hairs on the back of my spine spike up like a cat about
to pounce and I shiver, through the back of my long, brown, stained torn dress. I can’t see the
execution from where I’m standing, my mother is by my left but I keep getting bumped in the
head by everyone’s hips. There is hardly any room to move around. My father luckily sweeps
me up from behind and puts me on his shoulders. I can finally see what everyone is loudly
cheering about, but I just don’t understand. I feel like the ginormous brick walls of the square
closing tight around me and I can’t escape. I feel a gurgle in my mouth, I’m not sure if it’s from
the hunger from the meat getting cooked from the other side of square or the fact that I’m
watching innocent people getting their heads chopped off. I tap on my father as if to get down.
He understands and lowers me. Suddenly my view is limited again. I start to push my way
quickly through the crowd and I reach the opening. “Death to the Aristocrats!” the crowd shouts.
My body looses all strength and I feel as if I have fell to the ground and curled up on the cold,
hard base of this show. And in one instant and I feel weak and pointless. Why does it have to
be like this? I don’t want my life to be like this. I raise my eyebrows and whisper to the rich
slowly and empathetically, ‘I’m sorry.’ I pause “I am so sorry”. I notice an old women dressed
in layers upon layers of a beautiful rose dress, the skirt flaring out at the waist look back at me.
Her eyes sunken into her sunken body gave a small smile. Generally you should feel happy with
yourself as if you have done something to someone, but I just done. I can’t do anything else
and I feel awful.